Probability and Conditionals: Belief Revision and Rational Decision

Description

This is a 'state of the art' collection of essays on the relation between probabilities, especially conditional probabilities, and conditionals. It provides new negative results which sharply limit the ways conditionals can be related to conditional probabilities. There are also positive ideas and results which will open up new areas of research. The collection is intended to honour Ernest W. Adams, whose seminal work is largely responsible for creating this area of inquiry. As well as describing, evaluating, and applying Adams' work the contributions extend his ideas in directions he may or may not have anticipated, but that he certainly inspired. In addition to a wide range of philosophers of science, the volume should interest computer scientists and linguists.

"...it became clear how many points of contact there are between the work in this area in AI and computer science and the work in philosophy. This volume, with its discussions of probability, conditionals, counterfactuals, belief revision, and default reasoning - all issues of concern in both communities - helps bring out the connections clearly." The Philosophical Review "...nicely edited by Ellery Eells and Brian Skyrms." Roy Gardner, Philosophy of Science